Students and Residents of Garkê Legê call for continued Kurdish-Language education

Students and residents of Garkê Legê and its countryside in the Jazira expressed their rejection of the Ministry of Education and Teaching’s decision to reduce Kurdish-language classes and reaffirmed their right to education in their mother tongue during a sit-in outside Martyr Ahin School in Rimelan.

Resident Rozina Othman said her children have received their education in Kurdish from first grade through secondary school, adding that suddenly changing the language of instruction would create significant difficulties for students and affect their academic performance.

She stressed the need to continue education using Kurdish-language curricula and called for the Kurdish language to be recognized in the Syrian Constitution and for education in Kurdish to be guaranteed.

She also noted that learning other languages does not conflict with students’ right to preserve their mother tongue.

Student Shirin Mohammed, who participated in the sit-in, said she had received her education in Kurdish since first grade and that using Arabic as the language of instruction would create difficulties for her and her classmates. She called for maintaining Kurdish-language curricula.

Student Nirkiz Sheikhou said she took part in the sit-in to demand that students’ right to receive education in their own language be preserved, calling for their demands to be heard and addressed.

Student Eila Othman said she had studied in Kurdish from first grade through eighth grade, adding that changing the language of instruction would increase the educational difficulties facing students. She stressed her commitment to continuing education in Kurdish until graduation.

Student Biman Omar said she had studied in Kurdish for seven years and that suddenly switching to Arabic would be difficult for her.

She called for the decision to reduce Kurdish-language classes to be reconsidered in a way that ensures students can continue receiving education in their mother tongue without affecting their educational progress.

a.k

ANHA